Who Says Green can't be Passionate?
by Regulus13
Summary: Lucian has a girlfriend! Who is it, and why is Aaron so angry? Will contain SLASH. Eliteundershipping predominantly Aaron/Lucian with other misc pairings.
1. Chapter 1

"Who Says Green can't be Passionate?"

By Regulus13

**Summary:** Lucian has a girlfriend! Who is it, and why is Aaron so angry? And will Roark ever ask Gardenia out? Will contain a few misc subplots, but those are the main ones.

**Note:** The timeline of this fic takes place just after Ash leaves Kanto – so before Cranidos evolves. (this will make sense as you read it).

**Warnings:** Mild cursing this chapter. Possibility of Sabrina bashing, but that's not a definite. Will contain SLASH.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Pokémon or YouTube. I'm just borrowing them for my own work of fiction.

**A/N:** So this is my 2nd fanfic. I'll try to update it regularly. Hope you enjoy! I'm not sure how good it came out, but I like to write, and this was an idea I was sporting around. 

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"Oh Aaron!" an annoyingly high voice sang through the hallways.

Aaron rolled his eyes from where he sat in his room, surfing the internet on his laptop. Usually Flint was a welcome distraction from the stress and other tedious work that came with being an Elite, and he was also a good friend when you needed him to be. However, the green haired man found himself in a rather foul mood today, due to a humiliating loss to a little girl with attitude problems. He knew he should have won that battle – if only he were a little more focused. Needless to say, he really wasn't in the mood for visitors now and so he kept quiet, hoping Flint would think he was out and leave him alone.

No such luck.

"I know you're in there, buddy! Open up before I get Infernape to blast down this thing!"

Aaron jumped up from his chair immediately, knowing Flint would do just that, despite the fact that it meant the building could burst into flames. Scratch that, he had already done that to the poor blonde haired gym leader of Sunyshore. One day, Volkner decided that he had enough of stupid battles and closed his gym. He barricaded the door and refused to let anyone, even assistants, in. Naturally, the Elite 4 had to step in, and Flint, being Volkner's best friend, agreed to give it a try. What nobody realized was that Flint's idea of "trying" was different than normal peoples, so it came as a huge shock to poor Volkner when his gym door was suddenly blasted open, with sparks of fire spraying everywhere and threatening to consume everything. From that day on, the Sunyshore gym was only closed on important holidays. Flint was given a stern talking to by Cynthia, but Aaron was under no delusions that it would actually work.

He reluctantly opened the door while putting on his 'I'm miserable, tired, and just want to wallow in self-pity' face. "What?"

Flint's face glowed with happiness, and he looked like a little kid who had found a treat in the bottom of the cereal box. "Guess what I saw?" he sang cheerfully.

Aaron mumbled something Flint couldn't quite catch.

"What was that, buddy?" the red haired elite asked, grinning like a madman.

Aaron felt his temper flare up. He was already in a terrible mood and had no patience for Flint's guessing games. "Your reflection in the mirror? Don't worry – its normal to see that," he replied sarcastically.

Flint either didn't notice the sarcasm, or he chose to ignore it. His cheerfulness did not diminish as he again sang his next few words, "Guess who has a girlfriend??"

_Great, _Aaron thought to himself, _now I'll never get rid of him._ "Look Flint, I really don't care who your latest conquest is – go bother Volkner with details!" he snapped, getting ready to slam the door in the other man's face.

"Now now, let's not be so hasty. And its not me!!" Flint looked ready to wet himself now in his excitement.

Aaron, on the other hand, could be mistaken for a gang member about to "take care of the problem." He carefully shut the door and leaned back against it, trying to breathe in and out slowly. "How about you just tell me who it is so I can get back to my misery, and then you'll have enough time to let everyone in the castle know by nightfall?" he said slyly.

Flint seemed to realize Aaron was a lost cause at guessing. Or perhaps he finally picked up on the other man's mood. "Our favorite psychic master!" he burst out.

Aaron blinked. "Say that again," he asked, not quite taking it in.

"You know, Lucian? The other elite? Purple haired bloke?" he said, waving his hand in from of Aaron's face.

The younger elite smacked his hand away. "Yes, I gathered that!" he responded angrily. "Who is it?"

"Who is who?" Flint inquired dumbly.

"The girlfriend, idiot!"

"Ohhh. Why didn't you just say so?" Flint said evilly. "It's that other psychic chick from Kanto. I can't remember her name. We never got along, she didn't seem to like me very much. Well, I used to think she hated everyone. At the last leaders/elite convention I went to over a year ago, she kept to herself, so I tried talking to her, thinking she was just shy, and she snapped at me. Told me she didn't want to be there anyway and to leave her alone. So really, her of all people – I'll never understand why Lucian picked her."

Aaron considered all the leaders he knew in Kanto matching her description. "You mean, Sabrina? Black hair? Little girl following her around?"

"Yea, that's her! Except there was no little girl around when I saw her. She and Lucian looked a little too busy for company , if you know what I mean!" Flint winked at Aaron, whose face turned from thoughtful to angry again.

His now glowing red face teamed up with his green hair to resemble a Christmas ornament, and he yelled, "You interrupted my solitude to tell me _that_? Are you kidding me? I don't care that Lucian has a girlfriend! I don't care that Sabrina doesn't like you! Just go away!" This time, he really did slam the door on the other elite's face.

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Flint stared at the closed door, blinking. _Wow, wonder what's crawled up his ass today!_ He shrugged, figuring it was just a battle or a bad lunch and strolled down to Bertha's room, still as cheerful as ever. Halfway there, he stopped abruptly, remembering that Bertha had gone shopping earlier and still hadn't come back.

_What to do, what to do….Aha – I'll call Volkner! _Flint thought, smiling widely. He set off back to his room to do just that.

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Aaron, by this point, had resorted to throwing any and all objects within range at his wall. Breakable or not, if he didn't have to stretch to pick it up, it was going sailing. He didn't know why he was so angry either. Was it still because of that battle? It couldn't be because of Flint and his annoying habits. No matter how angry Flint sometimes made him in the past, he had never resorted to throwing objects. And surely he didn't care whether Lucian was dating anyone, right? There was no reason for that to bother him. So what was it?

Eventually, he ran out of objects and threw himself at his bed. He clutched his pillow as though it were a lifesaver and started to count to 10 slowly.

_You know what, this isn't working. I need something else. Food? Nah, don't think I can stomach it. Sleep? Too early, and I won't be able to later if I nap now. Internet? So what, I can just watch more Youtube videos? No thanks. _He then eyed the phone on his desk. Before he could change his mind, he picked it up and dialed Roark's number.

"Hello?" he heard the familiar voice of his good friend.

"Hi, Roark, it's me."

"Oh hi, Aaron! How are you?"

"Not so good, just kind of moody at the moment. Say, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, course you can," replied a tone filled with curiosity.

Aaron hesitated. "Did you know that Lucian and Sabrina from Kanto are dating?"

There was a small pause on the other end. "What?!? Seriously? Since when?"

"I don't know. Flint just told me."

"Wow, that has to be the strangest match I've ever heard of. I, uh, thought Sabrina didn't like people. I almost talked to her once, but then I saw her snap at Flint, so I changed my mind. I can't imagine what Lucian sees in her."

"You and me both. "

"Say, I really don't mean to be rude, but is it alright if I call you later? Only Gardenia's here, and we were about to get dinner."

Aaron sighed. "Oh yea, sure, no problem. How are things with you two, by the way? Are you together yet?"

There was another pause and then he heard footsteps and sounds resembling a door opening and closing. "I don't know what you're talking about. Gardenia and I are just grabbing dinner as friends," a soft voice said quickly.

"Sure. That's what they all say."

"Aaron!" Roark's voice held a warning.

"Fine, fine. I'll let it go for now. Have a fun time on your date." Aaron hung up before the miner could respond, now finding himself in a better mood. _Just friends, my ass._ _He's liked her for years, and they're the only 2 who don't notice! _Smiling to himself, Aaron went to bed, happy at least for now. There was no way for him to know what a disaster breakfast would be tomorrow morning….

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Roark just stared at the phone as he heard Aaron's last remark. His already red face was now starting to steam, and he quickly put down the phone and turned around as the door opened, and Gardenia poked her head in.

"Everything ok?" she asked.

The red lobster turned around slowly, muttering under his breath. "Yea, s-sure. N-nothing's wrong. Just – guy talk. Yea, that's it. Guy talk," he stuttered.

Gardenia still looked suspicious but thankfully dropped the subject. "Are you ready?"

"Uh…yea…yea, um, of course," he blurted out, cursing inwardly for sounding like an idiot. He made a mental note to get Cranidos to use flamethrower on Aaron later. It was all his fault! Never mind the fact that Aaron had been right. He _had_ liked Gardenia for 2 years now, but he was sure she didn't like him back. _Ah well, as long as we stay friends, that's all that matters._

Unbeknownst to Roark, as he and Gardenia left, another man crept out of his hiding spot and shook his head. _This is getting ridiculous_, the listener thought to himself. _Then again, might as well get some amusement out of this…_With that, the man began plotting.

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**Notes:** Sabrina was still in that "loner phase" when Flint met her, but by now, she has battled Ash and is all back to being a normal human being. But Flint doesn't know that yet since he hasn't really seen her lately, so he thinks the little girl still follows her around.


	2. Chapter 2

"Who Says Green can't be Passionate?"

By Regulus13

**Summary:** Lucian has a girlfriend! Who is it, and why is Aaron so angry? And will Roark ever ask Gardenia out? Will contain a few misc subplots, but those are the main ones.

**Note:** The timeline of this fic takes place just after Ash leaves Kanto – so before Cranidos evolves. (this will make sense as you read it).

**Chapter Warnings:** Nothing in chapter 2.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Pokémon. I'm just borrowing it for my own work of fiction.

**A/N:** So I decided to add Senisarushipping because they're so cute together. 

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Candice's POV

Candice sighed with pleasure as Volkner started running his hands through her hair. This was always the part of the day she looked forward to. Sure, she liked battling, but at the end of the day, what better way was there to relax than to cuddle her boyfriend. It was hard to believe sometimes that they had only been together for a year. She couldn't ever imagine that at one point, she had come home to a cold bed and newspapers.

"Volk?"

The blonde paused in his ministrations and glanced up at his girlfriend. "Hmmm?"

"I love you," she said warmly, with a beaming smile on her face.

The corners of Volkner's mouth twitched upward. "I know."

Candice was slightly disappointed that he never said 'I love you' back but didn't want to pressure him to say words he either didn't mean or didn't feel comfortable saying. After all, didn't actions speak louder than words? Volkner _was_ always pretty affectionate when they were alone together, and he always seemed to pay attention to the little details about her. Like she had told him at the beginning of their relationship that when she was a little girl, she and her friends had made each other necklaces from stones they'd found on the beach. Her mother had thrown it out years later when they moved, saying she was too old for such things. But she'd missed what the necklace represented – her eternal friendship with those girls. And then on her 6th month anniversary with Volkner, he gave her a necklace he created with his own special stones, and she loved him all the more for it. She knew he must have cared a great deal for her to have remembered that, but even so, _why couldn't he just say I love you?_

Volkner seemed to sense her mood change, for he leaned forward to kiss her on the neck and inquired if there was anything wrong.

"No, no, nothing at all. Just thinking."

Of course, at that moment, Volkner's cell phone started to ring.

"It's Flint. Wonder what he wants," he said softly. He answered the phone, but Candice had lost interest as soon as she heard who it was. _Probably more guy talk._ Her interest was peaked moments later when she felt her companion tense next to her. She glanced over to see that his eyes were as big as dinner plates, and he was staring rather stupidly at the phone.

"You can't be serious," he muttered. "Completely impossible. Good one, Flint. You got me this time…..you _are _serious. Hold on, I'm going to tell Candice."

"Tell me what?" she asked, now extremely curious.

"Lucian has a girlfriend. Remember Sabrina? That quiet girl I talked to at the last convention? The one that yelled at Flint?"

Candice paused, then…"Oh yea, I remember her. Weren't you the only person there she would talk to?"

"Apparently not, if she'd dating Lucian now."

"Hmmmm… I must say, that's rather…strange. I never pictured Lucian with someone like her. I always saw him with a more….bubbly personality."

Volkner rolled his eyes. "I guess she must have some redeeming qualities. But at least it means he'll stop reading so much and actually get out once in a while."

"No offense, but you're one to talk, you know. When was the last time you took me out somewhere nice?" She raised an eyebrow and looked at him questioningly.

He ignored her question and resumed his conversation with Flint. Inwardly, she sighed. Was their relationship _always_ going to be like this?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The next day…

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Flint POV

Flint woke up in a jolly good mood. Not only did he have some of the best gossip known to man, but he had been the first to find out about it! And he didn't have any challengers today! He quickly dressed himself and headed downstairs for some breakfast. Only Bertha was there when he strolled in, practically bouncing off the walls.

"Bertha, old buddy! How are you?" He asked excitedly.

The older woman glanced up from her newspaper to stare suspiciously at him. Her intense gaze made Flint feel like she was trying to read his mind. Finally, she just let out an exasperated sigh.

"Ok, what is it this time? And is anybody hurt, damaged, or otherwise incapacitated?" she responded with the air of a woman waiting for her execution.

"Bertha, I'm hurt that you could think me capable of such a thing. Why I –" he stopped noticing the look she gave him. "Ok, maybe I would…but that's beside the point."

"Another girl then? You go through them like pens!"

Flint opened his mouth to correct her when the source of his newly found good mood walked in. It was all he could do not to cackle evilly as Lucian greeted Bertha, introducing her to Sabrina. Then the psychic master noticed him.

"Oh hello, Flint. Have you met Sabrina? Sabrina, this is Flint, our fire master here in the elite."

Sabrina gazed at him thoughtfully, then recognition dawned. "I remember you. You're the guy that spilled punch all over me at the last convention."

The red haired man flushed, looking uncomfortable. He coughed. "Was that me? How silly of me, guess I was just clumsy." Of course he hadn't been. He was just trying to test the limit of her psychic powers, so that she wouldn't be able to prevent any pranks he played.

Sabrina didn't look like she bought that anymore than Lucian. The purple haired man shot him a 'be nice' look, which Flint steadfastly ignored in favor of pouring himself some orange juice. Just then, Aaron walked in, in his usual quiet way, and it was Bertha who first greeted him.

"Oh, good morning, Aaron. Did you sleep well last night?" Bertha always did have a sweet spot as far as the youngest elite was concerned. He was practically a grandson to her.

Aaron smiled at her. "Yes, I did actually. I had some weird dreams though – something to do with a mothim and a hot air balloon." His smile suddenly faded as his eyes landed on Sabrina then flickered to Lucian.

"Good morning, Aaron. This is Sabrina. Sabrina, this is Aaron, our resident bug master."

Aaron merely mumbled some nonsense before grabbing the OJ from Flint. Flint, never one to pass up an opportunity to embarrass anyone, reached out and put his arm around the green haired man.

"Now now, buddy. There's no need to be sulk. I heard those dreams you were having about Lucian last night, but there's no need to be jealous." Aaron choked on his drink, spraying juice everywhere. Bertha patted him several times on the back while glaring at Flint. The psychic master had found a particularly interesting piece of dust on the ceiling, and Sabrina –well she didn't know quite how to act yet. However, seeing as how everyone else was incapable of movement, she grabbed a rag and used her powers to clean up the mess. That was enough for Bertha, who stood up, grabbed Flint by the ear, and dragged him out.

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Aaron POV

He watched with amusement as Flint was dragged out by the ear but then realized he was now stuck with the happy couple. It wasn't that he hated either one of them. In fact, he had a great deal of respect for Lucian as a person and a trainer, and he didn't know Sabrina at all. There was just something that bothered him about it all – a nagging feeling really, and he didn't know why.

"So, now that our class clown is gone, tell me – how are you doing? I heard about your battle yesterday with that girl. I know you were deeply disappointed – is everything ok?" Lucian asked, in that soft, caring voice of his. Aaron saw the same concern reflected in the man's violet eyes and felt some guilt for his rather gruff manner earlier.

"Yea, I was a little down yesterday. I knew I should have won that battle. Its just - I've been so distracted lately. But I talked to Roark last night and felt better afterward." Ok, so he didn't talk to his friend about the battle, but the idea was still the same.

"I'm glad to hear it." Indeed, Lucian did seem truly genuine. "And you know, if you ever need to talk, my door is always open to you! No matter what, you can come by, even if you just want a battle."

Despite his capricious mood as of late, Aaron felt the corners of his mouth lift, and his chest felt lighter. Until...he happened to glance over again just in time to see Sabrina gazing proudly at Lucian and then kiss him on the lips. The kiss, in Aaron's opinion, lasted much longer than it should have, given that there was someone else in the room. That was just plan rude, wasn't it? He cleared his throat, causing Lucian to pull away sheepishly. Everything might have been ok, except that Sabrina seemed to mistake Aaron's displeasure for innocence and thought that perhaps he just wasn't used to public displays of affection. So she gave him a rather scornful smile with a 'get used to it face' and gave her boyfriend another kiss. This time, Aaron could definitely see tongue and felt a tightening in his chest, as though a monster was trying to fight its way out.

Before he could stop himself, he "accidentally" knocked his elbow in his newly filled glass of orange juice and knocked it all over Sabrina and Lucian, though most seem to splatter on the gym leader.

"Oh goodness me, I am so sorry!" he exclaimed with false incredulity. "I can't believe how clumsy I am! Here, let me clean that for you." Before Sabrina could stop him, he grabbed a rag and stared to 'clean' her pants. However, all that was accomplished was him spreading the stain even more.

Glaring at him, she smacked his hand away and stepped back. "Oh yea, accident, I bet! Is this how you treat everyone around here, or am I just special that way?"

Lucian quickly stepped in and tried to calm her, but she smacked his hand away too. "Please Sabrina, don't be so angry. I'm sure it _was _just an accident."

Aaron ignored him too in favor of, "You really are psychotic, aren't you? You're not paranoid – everyone _is_ out to get you, right? First Flint, now me? Wow, you sure seem to rack up enemies!"

"What do you even have against me anyway? What did I ever do to you?"

"Well for starters, it's obvious what you're trying to do here!" he blurted without thinking.

"And what would that be, smarty pants?"

"The only reason you're dating Lucian is because you want to be part of the Elite 4, and hey, what surer way than to date one of its members? But the Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn elite are all taken or unavailable, and let's face it, you got off to a pretty bad start with Flint last year, so that leaves Lucian since I'm too young."

There was a long moment of silence, and then it finally dawned on Aaron what he just implied. He immediately stuttered an apology and then took notice of the look on his colleague's face. In all the time he'd been an elite, he had never been on the receiving end of such a look before. It would have been better if the other man was angry, but disappointment? It wasn't something Aaron could handle. He could only watch as Lucian took Sabrina by the arm and guided her out without looking back. All he felt was an emptiness, as though he was no longer in his body anymore. He couldn't believe what an idiot he was! And what did he have against Sabrina anyway? Without being fully aware of himself anymore, he started to walk. Maybe a talk with Bertha would help.

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Byron's POV

"Ok, so you guys know what you have to do?" Byron asked, glancing at each of his partners in crime. Much to his dismay, he merely received 3 stupid looks in return.

"Um…why are we doing this again?" Maylene spoke up, looking embarrassed. The other 2 appeared to be thinking along the same lines.

"Because, as I've told you guys 5 times, if we don't do something, Roark will never admit his feelings for Gardenia, and then I'll never get grandchildren!" Another check of his companions showed more blank stares.

"So, why do we care if you get grandchildren or not?" Fantina said nonchalantly.

"No offense man, but what's in this for us?" Crasher Wake interjected.

Byron rolled his eyes. Really, at this rate, it would have been much easier to just do this whole thing himself. "Tell you what. If they get together, I'll have a huge party at my place, and you're all invited. That work for you?"

The three pondered it over, then Maylene realized something. "But what it Roark finds out?"

She jumped as a meaty fist slammed down on the table. "You had better make sure he doesn't! Are we clear?" She nodded. "Great. Are we done with stupid questions yet? Can we get started now? Super!"

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**A/N:** Well, that's it for today, folks. Hope you enjoyed that! I'm going to try to take this as slow as possible. I've decided against Sabrina bashing, though you may interpret the breakfast scene as you see fit. I'm not going to give any real spoilers, but I will say there is a lot more to her character than you think.

**And a special thanks to my reviewers!! ******** You guys are awesome – thanks for taking the time to write something!! **

**SunKat411** – glad you enjoyed!!

**The Renowned Obscurity** – yes, I thought it might be intriguing combo too, especially when I considered how I was going to write Sabrina's character. Based on what I saw of Lucian in the anime, I do see this as a possibility based on said characterization. Lucian came across to me a guy who was genuinely interesting in helping others – that's all I can say for now. But don't worry – I fully intend to get him together with Aaron – they are one of my favorite couples in the show! Though the way I have it planned – it will take at least several chapters! 

As for Roark and Gardenia – let's just say I am going to have lots of fun with them before I put them together. 


	3. Chapter 3

"Who Says Green can't be Passionate?"

By Regulus13

**Summary:** Lucian has a girlfriend! Who is it, and why is Aaron so angry? And will Roark ever ask Gardenia out? Will contain a few misc subplots, but those are the main ones.

**Note:** The timeline of this fic takes place just after Ash leaves Kanto – so before Cranidos evolves. (this will make sense as you read it).

**Chapter Warnings:** Nothing in chapter 3.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Pokémon. I'm just borrowing it for my own work of fiction.

**A/N:** So I'm sorry I took a long time with this chapter! I'm in my senior year of college, and the work is kind of piling up at this point. I actually had most of this written a few weeks ago, but I kept editing it cause I didn't like how it was coming out. So I hope you enjoy it! I sure had fun writing it! :)

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Sabrina's POV

"There, there now. It'll be alright," Lucian said soothingly. He loosened his hold on her and gently began to rub circles on Sabrina's back. She sniffed and looked up at him, through tear filled eyes.

Hesitantly, she asked, "Do you think I'll ever have any friends? Besides you, I mean?"

A warm, comforting smile filled her boyfriend's face. "Believe me, if everyone else saw what I did, you would be the most popular person on the planet. You are a beautiful person, inside and out."

"But why doesn't Aaron like me? Or Flint? I mean – do they really think…do you think I'm just,-" she cut off looking at the psychic master hopelessly.

"Hey, don't worry about that. No one, and I mean no one, thinks you're just using me to get into the Elite. And neither Aaron nor Flint actually hates you. Flint was just trying to be his usual goofy self – _he_ certainly thought he was being funny - that's just the way he is. And as for Aaron, don't forget – he's been having a pretty rotten week. I'm not trying to take his side or make excuses or anything, but I think it was just his bad mood talking, that's all."

Sabrina's gaze turned hopeful, her voice slightly stronger as she asked, "Yea, you mentioned something about a challenger he lost to?"

Here it was Lucian's turn to hesitate. "I'm really not sure I should tell you," he said softly. When Sabrina looked downcast, he continued, "It's not that I don't trust you or anything, but it's not my story to tell, and I'm not sure that Aaron would want me to.

"Oh, ok. I understand."

Lucian gave her a small smile. "Now do you want to tell me what's really bothering you about all this?"

"I don't know, I guess….When I was younger, I never really had any friends. They were all intimidated by my powers. And I have to admit, that was partly my fault. Whenever they _did_ invite me to go play with them, I always refused and chose to keep practicing instead. But even so, the few times I did join them, I received odd looks from them. They weren't necessarily angry or hateful looks, more…weirded out. They..thought I was unnatural…I remember one of the girls calling me a freak when I was 7."

"Well, I don't think you're freaky at all. I think it's cool that you have telekinetic powers! Seriously, don't even listen to what other people say. I never understood why people have always felt the need to destroy something beautiful simply because it's different. If all of us were the same, the world would be a pretty boring place, don't you think?"

Sabrina sniffed and smiled, wiping the last of her tears away. "I'm really lucky to have you."

"No," Lucian corrected, "I'm really lucky to have _you._"

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Aaron's POV

Aaron morosely walked down the hallway, staring at the carpet as he moved his legs forward. How could he have been so stupid?!?! What possessed him to say that to a girl he never really met before today? And Lucian….

_Man, I've really ruined everything, haven't I_? he thought.

The bug master raised his hand and knocked on a door. A moment later, one of his best friends opened the door, giving him a kind smile when she noticed his state.

"Oh dear, please come in, Aaron. Have a seat, and let me fetch you a cup of tea, yes?" Bertha said sweetly.

Aaron sniffed and accepted it readily. "Thank you."

"Your welcome, deary. Now, why don't you tell old Bertha what's got you down in the dumps, hmmm?"

Despite his dreary mood, the elite managed a small smile. She really was like a grandmother, and it was nice to be able to sit and talk to someone like that without worrying about being judged.

"Well, I….I said some awful things…"

"After breakfast?"

"Yes."

Bertha made a few hand gestures, as though to say, get on with it. "To who, my love?"

"Sabrina. I…kind of told her that she was…using Lucian to get ahead in the league."

The older woman looked puzzled. "But why on earth would you say something like that?" It was not a harsh tone she used, more of a mildly curious one. It was obvious she was withholding judgment until she heard the whole story. Aaron was very grateful for that.

"That's the thing. I don't know what made me say it. I was just so angry for some reason…" he broke off for a moment then continued in a stronger voice. "She started it anyway. If she hadn't been kissing Lucian for so long and making a public spectacle of herself…I mean, it's rude to make out with your boyfriend in front of other people, right? So I tried to get her to stop, and she gave me this look, like she was telling me to get over it. I had to do it, you see?" His voice had been getting louder and louder with every word he spoke until by the end when he was practically screaming.

Bertha hesitated. "You had to do what, Aaron?"

"I….Ok, maybe I shouldn't have done it, but I spilled orange juice all over her. There, you happy? I told you!"

Bertha was silent for several long moments as she gazed solemnly at Aaron, who could only look down in shame. Suddenly, a look of understanding dawned on her face, which confused the bug master greatly.

"You know what you need to do, right?" she smiled.

"Well, apologize, but…what if…"

"No, no what ifs. Just go over there, and do it. It'll all turn out ok in the end. You'll see."

Aaron wasn't sure he shared her optimism but found himself nodding anyway. He stood up, paused, and then reached over and gave his mentor a hug, thanking her as he left. As he strolled back to his room, he found himself pondering the strange look she had given him at the end. For some reason, it unsettled him. He had a strange feeling that she knew something he didn't, and it unnerved him.

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Flint's POV

"I've been working on the railroad,-" He began to sing.

"When have _you_ ever worked on a railroad?"

With wide eyes, he put down the weight he was lifting and turned to face the person who spoke. He relaxed when he saw who it was.

"Aaron, old friend. How ya doing buddy?" he cheerfully greeted. "And the point is that you don't have to actually work on a railroad to sing the song. You know?" he made a few gestures, waving his hands wildly around his face as he did so. To his satisfaction, the other man rolled his eyes, a smile playing on his lips. "So?? What brings you to the gym now? I thought you usually train later?"

"I do. I just wanted to talk to you, unless you're busy?"

Now Flint was really curious. It was rare enough to see Aaron lurking around this area of the castle after breakfast, but the confused look on his face – something told the red haired man this was going to be good. And sure enough, as he listened to the breakfast fiasco, he couldn't help but snicker internally. Something about Sabrina had always rubbed him the wrong way, so he was quite happy to see someone put her in her place. Externally, he had the feeling that a 'congratulations' was not what his friend wanted to hear. That being said, what he actually spoke out loud was not much better.

"Look man, I could tell you to apologize, but she deserved it. That woman – I don't know what her problem is, but she needs to loosen up a little and come down to earth. She's so full of herself that she'd be bigger than my Driftblim without that rib cage of hers!"

"Yes, yes. I get the picture. But...I don't want Lucian to be mad at me."

Flint scoffed. "Oh please, when's the last time you've ever seen Lucian angry?"

Aaron's tone had a slight edge to it as he replied, "That's not the point! I don't want things to be weird with us since I insulted his girlfriend."

"Uh…ok? Then, if it means so much to you, why are you talking to me when you could be apologizing?...unless, oh, I see. You're too scared to say 'I'm sorry.' Little Aaron's a scardy cat."

"I am not! I just wanted to ask you about Bertha, but never mind."

"Oh? What about Bertha?"

Aaron hesitated. "Well, when I told her the story, she had this strange look in her eyes afterwards. Like she knew something I didn't."

Flint considered that for a moment. "Maybe Lucian already told her what happened?"

"I'm pretty sure that's not it. You know what, never mind. You're right, I really need to speak to Lucian."

Flint just shook his head as the younger man left. Really, he didn't see what all the fuss was about. It was just Sabrina.

-------------------------------------------------------

Gardenia's POV

Gardenina smiled as she looked through her favorite magazine on grass type pokemon. She thought back to last nights events and couldn't help but giggle. Roark had been absolutely adorable. There was no other word to describe him. He'd been stuttering like crazy for the first half hour, and every time she had so much as looked in his direction, he flushed and couldn't meet her eyes.

They had ended up at a small café, where the waitress, much to the grass-type user's dismay, had begun hitting on Roark. Fortunately, the man had been completely oblivious, but that didn't stop Gardenia from glaring daggers at the blonde woman every time she approached their table. However, by the end of their meal, her anger had dissipated when it hit her that Roark truly had eyes only for her. It made her wonder why he never asked her out on a date. She knew he was shy but even so, she'd had a huge crush on the man for 2 years now…Unless, he didn't know….maybe he thought she was only interested in friendship.

But she'd thought she'd made herself obvious. She constantly told the red haired man she loved him and always made it a habit of putting her arm around him when they stood next to each other. They even held hands on occasion! What more did she need to do, besides outright telling her feelings to him?!?! That was an option she had long ago eliminated. While she was sure that her feelings were reciprocated, she still had no desire to have her heart break if he didn't. More importantly, she didn't want to pressure Roark into something he wasn't ready for. Maybe he just wasn't interested in dating someone right now?

Still, despite all those thoughts, Gardenia had a bright smile on her face the whole morning as she got ready for the day. Last night really had been fun, even if it wasn't a date.

-------------------------------------------------------

Crasher Wake's POV

Wake's assignment from Byron was actually going fairly well. Then again, his job had merely been to scope out nice, romantic places for Gardenia and Roark to go to. It probably would have been better for Fantina to do this, since she had the Drifloon, but he had quickly volunteered for the job since it was the only one that didn't involve stalking people all day. In any case, he hoped his efforts weren't wasted. If those two weren't together by the end of this whole adventure…

He briefly wondered how the other two were doing….

-------------------------------------------------------

Maylene's POV

Sometimes, Maylene wondered if she was too nice. She had to be, to be dragged into situations like this. For goodness sake, she was a gym leader, and she had a reputation to uphold. Gym leaders simply didn't do stuff like this, did they?

_Well, here goes nothing. _"Ok, Lucario, come on out!" A second later, the fighting type appeared next to her. "We're going on a secret mission today!"

Her pokemon gave her a weird look then looked over her shoulder at something.

"What?" she asked angrily.

Then she heard his voice. "Oh hi, Maylene, what brings you down to Oreburgh mines? I didn't know you liked fossils?"

The young girl visibly blanched, and it took all her willpower not to run for it as she slowly turned around and found herself face to face with Roark.

"Uh….well…..hi!"

Roark stared. "Is everything ok?"

Maylene gave him one of those fake bright smiles. "Of course, couldn't be better!" _Crap, he knows. He knows Byron sent me here to spy on him._

If Roark believed her, he gave no indication. In fact, he just looked weirded out. "Right then, I'll just be going."

As she watched his retreating back, she mentally swore. _Great, now I have to explain to Byron why I have a sudden interest in mining. _Either way, she couldn't risk running in Roark again, so she returned to her own gym.

-------------------------------------------------------

Fantina's POV

It was easily one of the most beautiful days this part of Sinnoh had seen in a while. The sun was shining, the bird pokemon were flying about, and people were strolling around, eagerly chatting in the streets. Laugher could be heard from a mile away, the mood was so joyous.

For most people anyway.

Fantina's morning was not a happy one. While everyone else was going about their usual business, she found herself clutching her Drifloon for dear life as she floated near Gardenia's window. Was this embarrassing, or what? A few people had noticed her so far, but she didn't care how weird they thought she was. The only thing that mattered was getting Gardenia's schedule down to the minute so they could start the next stage of the plan.

Except…so far, she hadn't left the room!!! Which left Fantina hanging from her Drifloon, looking like some kind of psychotic stalker. She was surprised the grass type leader hadn't noticed her yet. Or at the very least heard her loud non-stop muttering.

_Come on, do something! Sooner or later, I'm going to have to eat, you know!_

That's when the trouble started.

"Come down to the ground immediately, and step away from the pokemon!" a voice sounded.

Fantina inwardly groaned and turned to face Officer Jenny standing several feet below her with a megaphone in hand.

"This isn't what you think, officer!"

"Come down immediately!" she repeated.

"Office Jenny, what's going on? Oh hi Fantina!" a third voice exclaimed.

Now she really felt sick. "Hi Gardenia," she called out dully. "Drifloon, just take me down." The pokemon obeyed, and the moment she landed, she was grabbed by Jenny.

_Great, how am I going to explain this to Byron?_

-------------------------------------------------------

The end. For now. :)

A/N: I'll try to get the next chapter out faster! Well, next week is my Spring Break, and I haven't been assigned too much work yet, so I should have time to write!

To my reviewers!! I love you guys! I'm not sure how good this is turning out, but I enjoyed writing this a lot! Thank you so much for taking the time to read and review!!

**Vampire Koneko****: **Glad you enjoy!! :)

**The Renowned Obscurity****:** Glad you like the pairings!! They are certainly my favorites as well!

I can safely say neither Volkner nor Flint are gay, and they will never at any point get together. This will remain a Volkner/Candice story. Whether Flint also gets a girl is up for debate at this point. That being said, Flint really wasn't intended to be any form of competition. The main problem with the Candice/Volkner relationship is the communication. I've always seen Volkner as an introverted kind of guy, and he's having a hard time opening up to Candice. That is what's frustrating her. It's not that she minded the phone call from Flint, but she does hate the fact that he avoids deep issues. Like when he never says "I love you" or how he dodged the question of why he hasn't taken her somewhere nice in a while.

Glad you like Flint/Bertha interactions! There will definitely be plenty more later!

Lol – I'm can't say I am surprised that Sabrina is not really likeable. Believe it or not, she was not trying to make Aaron jealous. As far as she's concerned, Lucian is straight (and for that matter, she thinks Aaron is too), so the idea of competition, at least on that end, is not a reality. What it comes down to is that Sabrina has 0 people skills. Oh, she's had her fair share of time with Lucian, but because of her isolated childhood (how power hungry she was), she doesn't know how to deal with people. She sees Aaron as a child and thinks he's just either new to PDA or being an immature jerk. She's never met him before, so she has no idea what he's like personality wise. For all she knows, he can be a total bastard, despite all the things she would have heard about him from Lucian. So I'm not saying you should like her (lolz I prob wouldn't either), but try to consider what things might be like from her POV. :)

By this point, Byron is getting impatient. He wants his son to be happy, and he's sick of watching them beat around the bush!! I hope this chapter wasn't unrealistic, but I felt like having a little fun with the gym leaders.

Glad you enjoyed! :)

**SuicidalToeSocks****:** Also glad you like!! :)

See the above reviewer comment for Sabrina. I completely 100% understood what you meant though! :)

Lol – I realize they are an odd couple. That's actually why I chose them in the first place. I have never seen a Lucian/Sabrina fic, and I wanted to pick the oddest couple I could think of.

Yea, my favorite part of this is that Aaron doesn't realize at all that he likes Lucian! He's kind in denial about well, everything, let's say. :)


	4. Chapter 4

"Who Says Green can't be Passionate?"

By Regulus13

**Summary:** Lucian has a girlfriend! Who is it, and why is Aaron so angry? And will Roark ever ask Gardenia out? Will contain a few misc subplots, but those are the main ones.

**Note:** The timeline of this fic takes place just after Ash leaves Kanto – so before Cranidos evolves. (this will make sense as you read it).

**Chapter Warnings:** Nothing this chapter

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Pokémon. I'm just borrowing it for my own work of fiction.

**A/N:** So I'm sorry I took a long time with this chapter! I finally graduated college (I thought senior year was supposed to be easy???), and it took me a while to finally me somewhat happy with this chapter. Of course, I'm still not sure how it came out, but I enjoyed writing it, mostly due to some more character development. I think I should have been a psychology major sometimes. There's really not a whole lot that happens in this chapter. It's mostly character development, not going to lie. If the plot picks up, it will be a bit later.

Anyhow – Happy Reading! :)

_-----------------------------------------------------------------_

Later that day…

Flint's POV

Flint skipped into the kitchen, humming a song to himself as he opened the pantry and pulled out some bread.

"Do do do do do….," he sang out loud. He happily spread some peanut butter on the bread followed by a generous layer of strawberry jelly. His stomach growled appreciatively as he took his first bite.

_Ah, just what the doctor ordered._

When Flint was little, his mother used to make him peanut butter and jelly sandwiches all the time. Everyday for lunch, he had the same thing – his sandwich, a bottle of juice, and a banana. Sometimes, he even added the banana to the sandwich. His father used to call him 'peanut' and jokingly said if he kept up his diet, he'd turn into a nut by the time he was 20. Well, he had been right, just not literally, he mused. His father still to this day made fun of his peanut butter habit, but in each one of his presents, he always included a jar of his favorite spread.

The sound of footsteps made him pause, and he turned around, eyeing the other person.

_Great, just great. It had to be Sabrina._

Outwardly, he didn't even acknowledge her presence. He continued to eat his sandwich in the same calm manner as before.

"Um, hi," she said shyly.

"Um, hi," he replied snottily, imitating her voice.

Sabrina looked distinctly uncomfortable, something Flint took great pleasure in.

"Look, did we start off on the wrong foot or something? Because, you know, since I'm dating Lucian now, I'd really like to get along with his friends."

Flint sighed. "Ok, here's the deal. I've got friends. Lots of friends. They tell me stuff. Stuff that you better have shared with Lucian," he said in a voice that sounded like he was lecturing a small child.

A worried look crossed her face. "I've told Lucian all about my childhood. Not that it's any of your business."

"You're still worried about something," he pointed out.

"Well, it's kind of scary that you apparently know all this stuff about my past without actually having talked with me before?"

"Or maybe I'm saying that I know stuff about your past to see if you are hiding something," he replied.

Sabrina tilted her head slightly. "Regardless, anything you do know about me is obviously second hand, right? Maybe you'd like to take the time to learn more about me from me?"

Flint found himself staring at her. _Is there a reason she wants to be friends with me this badly?_

"I still don't trust you based on what I heard about you. Prove me otherwise."

Sabrina smiled. "Don't worry. I'm completely harmless."

Flint rolled his eyes. "Right. That's what they all say."

"So," she started to change the subject, "Um, what are you eating there?"

Flint choked on the sandwich before holding up the jar of peanut butter. "Uh, peanut butter and jelly sandwich?"

Sabrina flushed. "I was just trying to make conversation, you know."

"Try harder."

"You're really not going to make this easy for me, are you?"

"I'm an Elite. We don't dumb down challenges for anybody."

"Then Mr. Smartypants, why don't you tell me what you do for fun?"

Flint chucked. "What I do for fun, eh? Train. Spend time with my friends. I like eating too. Occasionally, I play video games."

Sabrina nodded. "That's cool. Do you play any sports?"

"Nah, that's not my thing."

"Me either. I like to draw actually."

"Do you, now?" asked Flint, finishing his sandwich.

The two continued to chat with each other in the same manner. Flint still wasn't sure that she was trustworthy. He wasn't lying before when he said he had heard all about her childhood, and he seriously wondered what a kind man like Lucian saw in a power hungry woman like her, even if she had supposedly changed. Nevertheless, Lucian _was_ hisfriend, so he supposed that he did owe it to the man to be civil to her.

_It could be worse. She could be stupid and twitty._

_-----------------------------------------------------------------_

Aaron's POV

Aaron cautiously opened the door to his room and peered out.

_Clear, yes! _

He stepped out, trying to make as little noise as possible.

_Come on, almost there. _

He made it to the bathroom without encountering a soul.

_YES! So far so good._

After having a nice shower, he stepped out, opened the door, and carefully looked out again. It was still clear.

_I am such an idiot. I suppose I'm going to have to talk to Lucian again someday, but it better not be today._

He paused and carefully listened for any sounds. Hearing nothing, he crept back down the hallway, crouching as he passed by a section of wall that was only half its size, with the top half completely open.

_Maybe I should have just taken the other route back to my room, but I think it might be better to practice these ways now, so I can be an expert later. _

Not that he was bad at sneaking around. In many ways, he was very much like his bug pokemon – small and inconspicuous. When he was a child, he wasn't really the kid that most people noticed right away. He had a tendency to blend in, especially since he was a poor trainer at the time and lost all of his battles. A few years later had made him much more mature and stronger, but he still hadn't lost his penchant for blending in. Which was really handy for times like this, he mused.

_-----------------------------------------------------------------_

Bertha's POV

One of the biggest reasons that Bertha made it into the elite was that people tended to underestimate her. Unlike most trainers, she didn't start when she was 10. She actually obtained her first pokemon when she was 30. It wasn't that she didn't want to train; it was the fact that she had to help her mother at home taking care of her little siblings. Her father had been killed when she was 8 – a train crash. They called it an accident, but Bertha later heard rumors that the conductor had been drunk. Her mother had fallen into a depression afterwards, and while she never developed bad habits, like excessive alcohol or drug related issues, it was still difficult for her to get up in the morning and take care of herself. Everyday seemed a challenge for her, which left Bertha raising her 5 siblings and making sure they got to school each morning, did their homework, had food on the table, etc… It sometimes made her envious that they were able to get the childhood they wanted while she was forced to grow up much sooner than was fair.

In any case, Bertha was a very loyal person, so even when her siblings grew old enough to take care of themselves, she stayed on and watched over her mother. When her mother finally died when she was 29, life suddenly took on a whole new meaning. She no longer had a purpose and desperately needed something to do with herself. Hence, she decided to become a pokemon trainer, and it was the very same loyalty that made her stay at home with her family that eventually helped her become one of the greatest trainers in Sinnoh. Above all else, she loved her pokemon and took excellent care of them, and they in turn, were willing to give 150% in their battles.

It also helped that people tended to see the older lady personage and assumed she wouldn't be much of a challenge. They underestimated her talents and usually paid the price. Yet, it wasn't just her talents in pokemon that people underestimated. After living at home with her brothers, sisters, and mom for so many years and taking care of them, she had become quite good at reading people. She found it easy to tell when someone was lying to her, just as she easily observed what they were feeling.

The only person she ever had trouble understanding was Lucian. He was too much of a mystery, all psychic trainers tended to be. Ever since she realized Aaron's feelings for the young man, she'd taken to watching his face for any reactions when she mentioned the bug master. She had to give him credit though – he was good. He never gave anything away. If Aaron's feelings were reciprocated that is.

"Say, Lucian," she began, "you haven't seen Aaron in the past half hour, have you?"

Lucian glanced up from his latest novel. "Why no, I haven't. Is something wrong?"

"Oh, nothing bad. I just needed a little help with something, that's all."

"Is it anything I can help you with?"

"Nonsense, I wouldn't want to disturb your reading."

Lucian smiled. "It's no trouble at all, Bertha."

_Bingo._

She led him outside to a small field that was mainly used nowadays for growing vegetables. Years ago, it had been a camp ground for challengers who wished to stay nearby but were not quite ready to challenge the elite.

She pointed to a trap that was used to catch any animals that tried to eat out of the garden.

"See, a poor little rattata managed to get caught, and you know how I am with dead pokemon." That was certainly true. She couldn't stand the thought of touching a dead pokemon – it broke her heart.

Lucian gave her a small smile and took the pokemon out of the trap. He gestured to her to walk with him, and the two ventured into the nearby forest.

"I think I'll bury it here, where its home probably is."

"Wonderful idea."

So he did. He dug a small hole with his hands and buried the rattata. Turning back around, he nodded his head at her.

"There, now he can rest in peace."

Bertha smiled to herself. What a sweet boy Lucian was. She remembered when he first challenged the league, how quiet he had been. He had barely spoken before the battle, but when the time came to fight, he was as assertive as he could be.

"So, how's everything going?"

"Ah, well, it's going alright. I did have a phone call from my mother again."

"Did you talk to her?"

Lucian gave her a look.

"I'm sorry, dear."

"So am I. It's not that she's," he trailed off, lost in thought.

"Well, you know what – you turned out quite great, if I say so myself."

"Only because my father was smart enough to leave her when I was little. If I had to grow up with her….No, that's not fair. It isn't that she's a bad person, she just doesn't appreciate anything. Nothing I ever did was good enough for her, and ever since I became this elite, she's been calling nonstop."

"It'll be ok. I promise. How's your brother handling this?"

"I spoke with Alex yesterday, and he says mom still hasn't tried to call him. Not even once," he said sadly. "I know he's better off without her, and he says he's dealing with it, but I think it still makes him sad that she's calling one brother and not the other, even if her reasons are selfish."

Bertha smiled comfortingly. "Don't worry about it dear. The important thing is that the 3 of you are away from her influence, and you've all grown up very well."

"Thank you, Bertha. That's very kind of you to say."

"Oh, I was just being honest. Now, I have a bone to pick with you. Is there a reason you never told me you were dating Sabrina?"

Lucian flushed a little. "Well, I started dating her 2 months ago, and I didn't want to jinx it, so we kept it to ourselves for a bit."

Bertha was confused. "But I thought you met a while before that."

"We did. We just weren't involved formerly until 2 months ago."

"I see. And are the two of you doing ok?"

"I guess. I mean, she's- she's worked really hard to become a better person. I spent a lot of time with her, just listening as she told me about her childhood, and I think I've helped her out a lot. So since she's happy with herself, so I am, for helping her feel that way I mean."

"And what has she done for you?"

"What do you mean?"

"A relationship cannot be one-sided, Lucian. It can't be just you helping her out all the time. That's not healthy. The 2 of you should be equals," she said gently. When she noticed he was about to respond, she hushed him. "Just think about it, ok. But from what I see, she's not reciprocating."

_-----------------------------------------------------------------_

Gardenia's POV

Gardenia glanced at her companion, who sat stone faced glaring at the wall.

"You know, if it wasn't for me, you would have just gotten arrested," the Eterna gym leader pointed out after 15 minutes of this. Fantina rolled her eyes, but dutifully turned around. "So," she continued, "what exactly were you doing before? I can always call Officer Jenny back."

Fantina sighed. "If you must know, I couldn't find one of my bags, and rather than storm in and accuse you of stealing it, I thought I'd check on my own."

Gardenia didn't buy that for a second. "You couldn't come over and knock and asked if I had seen it anywhere?"

"Um….no wait! Don't pick up the phone! Ok, ok. If you must know, Byron asked me to spy on you. He wanted me to tell him what your daily routine was like," she said hurriedly. Then she noticed the expression of horror on the plant lover's face. "No, definitely not like that!! Byron – it's not for him, he doesn't want to know this, its – ok, so he does want to know, but it's not how you think! Byron is trying to set you up with Roark. He's got someone spying on Roark also, and when he has your routines down pack and/or evidence saying you too like each other, he was going to act. Like make sure you happened to be in the same place at the same time, etc…"

There was a long silence after this revelation. Gardenia didn't know what to think. On the one hand, she couldn't help but be angry at Byron for meddling in affairs he had no right to be involved in. The more optimistic side of her considered the ramifications. If Byron was so dead set on getting them together, could that mean that Roark _really did_ like her? She felt excitement rise in her. Oh sure, she'd guessed before based on their last outing that he fancied her. But to actually really be certain was a whole other notion altogether. Byron wouldn't try to play matchmaker if he wasn't sure about their feelings, would he?

She then observed Fantina, and realized that the 5th leader was slowly getting up and watching her as though she were a large, angry beedrill.

"I, uh, guess I'll be going now. Please don't be angry, I-"

Gardenia took pity on her and waved her hand. "Don't worry about it. Now, Byron on the other hand…."

"….What are you planning?"

"Oh, nothing you need to worry about. Off you go."

Fantina walked out, all the while staring at her like she was a psycho. Gardenia smiled to herself. Just because she was happy that Roark liked her didn't mean she wasn't angry at his father. She'd show him for messing with her life and spying on her. But first things first, and that was to call Roark and meet up with him somewhere private. This was going to be a lot of fun.

_-----------------------------------------------------------------_

A/N: So I hope you enjoyed it! I'm debating bringing Lucian's family into this, although if I do, it will be in a few chapters. I'm going to try to extend this as long as I can. Plus, I like the idea of Bertha kind of mothering both Lucian and Aaron.

To my reviewers - Thanks for reading and taking the time to review!! :) You guys are awesome!

SuicidalToeSocks: I'm glad you enjoyed their interactions. :) I did want to bring them all into the story. And don't feel sorry for Fantina anymore – wait til Byron gets what's coming to him! ;)

As for Sabrina, I have big plans for her. I see their relationship as being way too one-sided. I think Lucian's constant reassurances and what not are making her too dependent on him, and she's not getting out there enough with other people to know how to talk to them. If you think about it, what was her conversation with Lucian like? He was comforting her. Considering the breakfast scenario, fine, but I think that's what all of her conversations with him are like, and that's not a healthy relationship for either of them. Geez, I hope I haven't been turning this story into a classical case right out of a psychology textbook, but that's starting to feel like it. :) Either way, perhaps you can guess what my future plans for her are. No bashing or anything like that. She just needs to get on her own and find someone who can hold his own against her, if that helps you.

Maybe unconsciously, she does see Aaron as a threat, but not because of his feelings for Lucian. Here is a guy who is, for the most part, secure with himself, and he's well-liked. He's what Sabrina wants to be like, but she doesn't know how, and that makes her jealous.

I put off a Lucian/Aaron confrontation this chapter so I could explore the characters more. Of course, with Aaron sneaking around and trying to avoid him, that might be difficult. :)

And don't worry – all the other characters will have a nice little hand in our eliteundershipping! It's only a matter of a chapter, really, that Roark and Gardenia get together. Since I wanted this story to be predominately Aaron/Lucian, I tried to move up that storyline first so I can get them involved with the mainline! :)

Sashaness: I'm glad you enjoy this pairing! When I first read one of the stories for it, I immediately fell in love and decided to try my hand at writing one. I hope you've enjoyed this chapter as well! :)

Next chapter: Aaron can't hide from Lucian forever. And what revenge will Gardenia and Roark plan for Byron (yes, they do get together next chapter – I don't really consider that a spoiler after her conversation with Fantina)?


	5. Chapter 5

"Who Says Green can't be Passionate?"

By Regulus13

**Summary:** Lucian has a girlfriend! Who is it, and why is Aaron so angry? And will Roark ever ask Gardenia out? Will contain a few misc subplots, but those are the main ones.

**Note:** The timeline of this fic takes place just after Ash leaves Kanto – so before Cranidos evolves. (this will make sense as you read it).

**Chapter Warnings:** Nothing this chapter

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Pokémon. I'm just borrowing it for my own work of fiction.

**A/N:** Well, here is a really fast update for you. But I have the next few days off from work and nothing else to do, so I'm just been writing and writing. :) This is my longest chapter yet, and I was using it to set the stage a little more. I had a few random ideas that came out of nowhere, but I included them anyway. There isn't really a Lucian/Aaron "confrontation" per say, since Lucian never struck me as a particularly angry person. I will say that Sabrina has a bit of an eye-opener.

Anyhow – Happy Reading! :) Hope you enjoy!

---------------------------------------------

1 Week Later….

Lucian's POV

It had been 1 week since the disaster at breakfast, and despite living with the man, he still had not seen Aaron! Not once. He was pretty sure that the other was avoiding him and normally would have confronted him….if he could find him that is! He'd already visited his room several times and no answer. Flint and Bertha were clueless, and he didn't bother asking Sabrina. He'd even called Roark, and although he insisted that he didn't know, Lucian suspected otherwise.

"Have you tried asking Cynthia?" Bertha mused.

"Hmmmm?"

"If members of the elite want leave, they have to request it from Cynthia and tell her where they will be going and for how long."

"Yes, of course! I never thought about that! I'll ask her straight away!"

He picked up the phone and dialed her number.

"Cynthia," he heard.

"Cynthia, its Lucian. I have something I need to ask you."

"Go ahead."

He took a deep breath. "Have you seen Aaron lately?"

There was a pause on the phone followed by an equally uncomfortable reply. "Look, I don't know what problems you two are having, but yes, I have. He's staying with a friend. He'll be back later. That's all I have to say on the matter."

"I see. Thank you."

"Lucian? Please iron out your difficulties when he gets back. I expect a united front from all elites, not discord and one elite telling me he needs a vacation to get away from another." She hung up the phone, and he winced. And then he found himself getting angry. None of this was even his fault to begin with! He hadn't done anything wrong. It was Aaron who started this whole mess!

---------------------------------------------

Cynthia's POV

"There, you happy?"

Aaron sighed with relief. "I'm really sorry to have to drag you into this. I'm just not ready to talk to him yet."

"Look, I'm not going to tell you what to do. But you will have to talk to him eventually, and the sooner you get it over with, the easier it will be. Trust me. Lucian is a very understanding guy. He's sweet, and he always looks for the good in others, and you, Aaron, are a great person. He won't stay angry with you," she said soothingly.

"Wait a minute. Is it true then? About you and Lucian? That you were together once?"

Cynthia smiled and looked away, pondering. "Yes, it is. When I first joined the league, we had a brief fling. That was, what, 2 years ago? That we broke up, I mean. We were together for 6 months, and then I realized he just wasn't the right guy for me. So I broke up with him, and there were no hard feelings."

She glanced at Aaron's face then and noticed a rather pensive look on his face. "Aaron? What's really going on here?"

He looked up at her and frowned. "I'm just thinking. If he had no hard feelings with you, then maybe he really won't stay mad at me. Right? I mean not that him and I were in the same situation or anything." Here, he flushed and looked down at his shoes.

Cynthia chuckled. "Well, go on then. Talk it out with him. It'll work out, you'll see."

Aaron beamed at her and walked out.

Cynthia sat down as he left and pulled out an old photo album. She pulled out an old picture of her and Lucian and look at it appreciatively. They really did have a good relationship. He was always kind to her and treated her with great respect, but Cynthia meant what she said to Aaron – he was never the right guy for her. He was a bit too….nurturing, if that was possible. She always considered herself an independent, strong woman, and Lucian was the type to enjoy taking care of others. She realized quite early on that she simply didn't need him the way he needed her.

Her mother had told her as much when she first met him, at 4 months, though Cynthia hadn't wanted to believe it at the time. With 2 sisters, her mother, and herself, it had been a strongly female dominated household with her father learning quite early on that he was always on the loosing end of the stick. Hence, her strong, independent personality and why her mother was quite surprised at her daughter's choice of boyfriends. It didn't make Lucian any worse of a guy, not by any means, but her mother was right, and she long ago acknowledged that fact.

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Aaron's POV

_Guess it's now or never._ In his heart, he knew Cynthia was right. He really did need to talk to Lucian, and he supposed waiting a week was kind of stupid. That didn't make the knots in his stomach hurt any less though.

He pushed open the door of the kitchen and walked inside. Sure enough, as Bertha had kindly told him when he asked, Lucian was calmly sitting at the table talking with Sabrina. The latter had her head on his shoulder, and Aaron had to take a deep breath and quell any feelings of anger before approaching them.

"Hi," he said softly.

Lucian glanced up at him, his eyes hardening a bit.

"Aaron," he acknowledged. Sabrina remained silent.

"Look," he began quietly, "I'm really sorry for what happened a week ago. I really didn't mean it, and I don't even know why I said it. I understand if you never want to talk to me again, but I just, well, I'm sorry." He paused, observing their reactions.

Lucian spoke up. "It's ok. I know you didn't mean it. I know you'd been having a bad couple of days before then."

Sabrina nodded. "I accept your apology as well."

Aaron bowed. "Thank you."

"Where were you anyway? I'd been trying to find you for the last few days."

Aaron didn't answer right away. "Just somewhere. I didn't want to be found."

Lucian rolled his eyes. "I gathered that. I was just…a little worried about you, to be honest. No one knew where you were, so I thought you might have gone missing. Please don't do that again."

"I did tell someone where I was."

"You told Cynthia. I know. I hadn't asked her right away though – I didn't even think of it actually. Then Bertha suggested I call her."

"I see. Well, if you must know, that was where I was staying."

"At Cynthia's?"

"Yes. She let me camp out at her house the last week."

"So that show she made of getting angry was…."

"Just that. A show. She didn't want you guessing that I was with her until I was ready to talk to you."

"Hmmmm….well, I'm still not really sure why you avoided me for as long as you did. You know I can't stay mad at you. You're one of my best friends, so I already knew that you hadn't said those things out of a desire to be cruel. I've always held you in high regard. You are a great person, so I figured you were just having a bad day."

Aaron felt his heart warm at those words. The knots in his stomach had all but disappeared, and he felt strangely light.

"I guess I was just scared. I thought you might not want to be friends anymore, you know, since I insulted your girlfriend. But you're my best friend too, Lucian!"

Before he could stop himself, he walked over as Lucian stood up and hugged the man tightly, reveling the in the feeling of the older man's arms around him. He wasn't sure how long they held each other, but it was definitely longer than it needed to be. Sabrina, for her part, watched with a smile on her face. He couldn't bring himself to smile at her though, especially when she decided to open her mouth.

She asked, "So, Lucian mentioned to me that you had a challenger. He didn't tell me what happened, but it sounded bad?"

Aaron found himself fuming again and reluctantly stepped away from Lucian. Who did she think she was asking personal questions to a guy she barely knew? But he didn't want to get into another fight with the two, so he calmly told her that he really didn't want to talk about it and excused himself to go train with his bug pokemon.

_Really, she thinks that just because she's dating one of my colleagues that she can nose into the rest of our business as well._

A part of Aaron knew he was being irrational. That her question really hadn't been too personal, but for some reason, he just could not bring himself to like her, yet alone talk to her civilly. Her very presence just made him so angry for some reason, and he wasn't sure what to make of his emotions anymore.

As he was on his way out, he passed Flint and some other girl, who were just walking in. He nodded to the other two and kept walking to his room. Feeling quite angry still, he decided to pour his energy into something useful, like cleaning his room. Aaron's mother had been a bit of a neat freak and subsequently passed some of that neatness onto her son. His father had been slightly messier, which annoyed his mom to no end, although at times, she could be found reluctantly admitting that perhaps that was why she found him so endearing to begin with.

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Flint's POV

"So this is the kitchen," he was saying, and was about to give a better explanation when he saw Aaron, who merely nodded to him and left. "Uh, that was Aaron, our resident bug master. Not sure where he's going though, so we'll just find him later, and I'll introduce you then. So anyway – oh hi, Lucian, Sabrina."

"Sabrina? I'm surprised to see you here. I didn't realize the elites had started a support group for mental patients," his companion said snidely.

Flint choked and was about to respond when…

"Erica! How…nice to see you again. What brings you here?" she managed to say civilly, despite her obvious anger at the other's words. She seemed to sneer slightly as she made an obvious show of checking out Erica's choice of attire – a pair of sweatpants and a baggy t-shirt.

"I'm here with my boyfriend. Not that it's any of your business."

"Really, and who might that be?" Sabrina asked curiously.

There was a small moment of silence before Erica cleared her throat impatiently.

"That would be me," Flint said, recognizing his cue and looking distinctly uncomfortable.

"You?"

He shrugged. "I met her 2 days ago at Sunnyshore and asked her to come back here. By the way, this is Lucian, the psychic master. Lucian, this is Erica, she's from Kanto – leader of the Celadon City gym…Erica, Sabrina is Lucian's girlfriend," he said, reluctantly admitting the last part, since he knew that it would just provoke another snide comment. Sure enough…

"You? You're dating Lucian? My, my. What are you, shagging him to get into the elite 4? I've heard rumors that you changed, but the truth is, people like you never change do they? You're still as power hungry as ever, aren't you?"

_I knew there was a reason I shouldn't have brought her back here. Volkner did try to warn me._

"Look, Erica, I'm sorry that-"

"You're sorry? You're SORRY? You turned my sister into a DOLL, you freak!"

"I said I'm sorry!"

"Well, sorry just isn't good enough. Then again, I suppose I shouldn't take it too personally, since you did the same to your own parents! Geez, how did such nice, kind people raise a dark, evil satan-child like you?"

"Alright – that was called for!" Lucian said, standing up. "Sabrina said she apologized, and she has changed. She's not the same person she was before. I'm sorry about your sister, but you went too far."

Erica frowned. "I went too far? What about her – why did no one stop her when she was turning people into dolls left and right and destroying everyone's lives? How do you think I felt when my sister seemingly disappeared into nowhere, and the police had no information for us for MONTHS? For all I knew, Allison was dead. Did Sabrina care about that? Oh no! She has NO feelings! NONE! You don't care about anyone but yourself, your selfish pig!"

Sabrina looked ready to cry at this point. Lucian reached out to hold her hand, but she shrugged it off. "Look, Erica, I really am sorry about your sister. I truly am. Nothing I can do will make up for it. I know. But I'm trying here, really I am. I'm making an effort to turn over a new leaf. I'm a different person." Tears fell from her eyes, and she rushed out of the room. Lucian stood up and followed her out.

"Erica – I think it's better if you left now. You know that you were never my girlfriend, right?"

"Excuse me? What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean, I just asked you back here to hang out for a few days. I never asked you to be my girlfriend. I wasn't going to say anything about that though until you started insulting Sabrina. You know what – I understand what she did, but she's changed. I know you're mad at her, and its one thing to be mature about it, but hurling childish insults is not right. And Lucian is my friend – you don't insult his girl to my face and get away with it. Just go home," he said coldly.

"I can't believe you're mad at ME! After everything she did! Fine – I'll leave!" She grabbed her purse and stormed out, much to his relief.

He then walked out of the room, looking for signs of either Lucian or Sabrina. He finally heard their voices coming from the library.

"Easy there, Sabrina. Don't listen to her," a calm, soothing voice said.

"Is that really what people think of me? She hasn't been the first, you know, to comment that I'm sleeping my way to the elite 4."

"I'm sure that's not what people are saying. She's just angry, that's all. Angry people tend to do and say irrational things."

"But you don't know that for sure, do you?"

Flint chose that moment to interrupt. He took one look at her red eyes, and he knew, somehow he knew, that just saying it was ok and that nobody else was repeating those rumors would be enough. He had a different idea of what would help her get past this.

"Tell you what. I'm going down to Sunnyshore tomorrow to visit Volkner. Why don't you come along, and I'll introduce you to him?"

"I don't know," she said.

"Come on, it'll get you out of the elite zone for a while, and then you can see for yourself if other people are talking like that about you."

She thought about it and finally nodded her head. She glanced at Lucian to see if he was interested in going, but he shook his head and muttered something about books.

"Great, be ready at 9 am."

Nodding to both, he stood up and left the room, silently cursing himself as he did. What on earth did he just agree to? A whole day with Sabrina? He didn't even like her. Sure they had one civil conversation, and he certainly felt sorry for her when Erica had started yelling at her, but to volunteer to travel to Sunnyshore with her? He must be out of his mind. Never mind the fact that he was just in Sunnyshore, and he really hadn't planned to go visiting Volkner again until next week. Tomorrow was going to be a disaster, he just knew it.

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Roark's POV

Roark paced around a small part of Eterna forest, wondering why Gardenia had asked to meet with him. Had he done something wrong, perhaps? Or did he forget her birthday? No wait, that wasn't for another few months.

"Hi, Roark!" a cheerful voice called from behind.

He felt his face heat up as he turned, and she leaned forward to hug him.

_Ok, so she's not mad at me._ _Good._

"So, uh, what's up?"

"Tell you what – maybe you better sit down for this."

The next few minutes were filled with Gardenia explaining what happened with Fantina and how she learned of his father trying to set them up. Roark was speechless at the end of it. He continued to stare at his companion, his mouth occasionally opening and closing.

Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. "Is there something you want to say?"

"Uh…I don't know," he said softly, staring at the ground.

She shook her head. "Are you…are you repulsed that he tried to do that?" she asked hesitantly.

Roark's head snapped up. "What do you mean?"

"You know – that he tried to set you up with me? Does that..bother you?"

"Well, I don't like my dad getting into my business, but-" she cut him off.

"No, about me, Roark. Me personally. Would you have been happier if he tried to set you up with someone else?"

"I wasn't happy he tried to set me up period."

Gardenia gave an impatient sigh and didn't reply.

Roark stared at her, wondering.

Then he understood. Butterflies filled his stomach, and his heart began to beat wildly. He could feel his palms begin to sweat and quickly wiped them on his shirt, hoping she hadn't noticed.

"Gardenia, do you like me?"

She choked and looked up at him, staring into his eyes. "What?"

"Do….you…like…me?" he said slowly.

She didn't answer for a few moments, and just as he was about to turn away, she whispered, "yes."

His heart still beating wildly, he reached out and touched her face, pleased when she let out a sigh. He stepped closer to her until their faces were inches apart.

_This is it. This is it!_

He rested his other arm on her waist and pulled her closer to him, before pressing his lips softly to hers.

_Gods, this is amazing._

He'd kissed women before, but this was a whole different experience. Maybe it was the fact that anything he felt for his previous girlfriends could never compare to what he felt for Gardenia. He felt her move her lips against his, and they continued to kiss. He wrapped his arms fully around her and ran his hands through her hair. He felt her do the same and decided to talk things a step farther. He opened his mouth and deepened the kiss, letting his tongue move over hers. They had a battle for dominancy, as the kiss continued to get more passionate. Finally, he broke away when he found he desperately needed air.

"That was-was-"

"Amazing," she finished for him, completely out of breath. "I had no idea you could kiss like that, or I would have done it sooner!"

He beamed at her.

"So, will you be my girlfriend, Gardenia?"

"Of course I will, silly!"

She leaned up and gave him a kiss on the cheek before throwing her arms around him and hugging him very tightly.

"But you know," she added, "Byron will have to pay for this."

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Byron's POV

Byron found himself sitting at the table, sorting through his mail.

_Junk. More junk. Bills._

He left them in piles in his kitchen and was about to leave when the doorbell rang. Feeling nervous, he carefully peered around the corner, looking out the windows to see who was there. Luckily for him, Fantina had warned him about her conversation with Gardenia, and the idea of a blood-thirsty plant lover was frankly making him a little scared.

Ok, so he knew he shouldn't have had people spying on them. He knew he should have stayed out of it, but really, how else was he supposed to get grandchildren? Roark clearly hadn't planned on making any moves in the near future.

He finally caught a glimpse of the visitor and sighed with relief when he saw it was just the UPS man. That is, until he realized that he hadn't actually ordered anything….

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A/N: Woot! I really enjoyed writing this chapter. I'm not sure why I decided to have had Cynthia and Lucian together, but it made sense to me at the time. Erica was really just meant to show Sabrina how people on the outside might be viewing her recent "change for the better" and her relationship with Lucian. I see Lucian as sheltering her a bit too much, and she's not exactly a social butterfly either. I think this would be the first time she ever really heard the rumors and remarks about her, and Erica certainly has a score to settle. I'm quite sure I made her nastier than usual, but I always got the mother hen impression from her, and I believe anger makes people act in ways they normally wouldn't.

The bottom line is, Sabrina needs to get out more and not stay inside. She's a stronger person than she believes, and I see her as being ready to get out into the world.

So next chapter: Flint introduces Sabrina to Volkner and Candice. Which leaves….Lucian and Aaron at home together! And exactly what did Byron get in the mail today?

To my Reviewers!! Thank you so much!! :)

SuicidalToeSocks: Lolz thanks!....you're getting old?? I'm almost 22!!! ;) Enjoy high school while it still lasts!

And I don't mind long reviews – look at my replies – I just ramble on and on sometimes. :)

I'm glad you enjoyed their backstories! Bertha is one of my favorites too along with Cynthia! I also have a peanut butter fetish, so I had to do something with that! I love some nice peanut butter with raspberry or peach jelly!

Yea, Sabrina, as in my A/N, really needs to find her own niche. Lucian is no longer helping her anymore the way she needs. I'm not going to spoil anything – all I will hint at is to look at the differences between her conversations with Lucian and her conversations with Flint. You're completely right – he is a snotty little smartass, and he's not helping her much… but he's also something that Lucian isn't. You'll see a bit more of what I mean in the next chapter, when the two head to Sunnyshore. :)

cookies-n'-milk-yo: I agree – she is pitiful. But it's mostly her fault, since was so power-hungry. This chapter gave her an eye opener that people just aren't going to forget what she did, and she's realizing, slowly albeit, that she needs to leave the house and talk to people. Lol. As nice as Lucian is, you are right, she's not staying with him for the conversation.

I'm glad you enjoyed it! :)


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